2nd Print Series "Journey"

Artist Statement

This is a pictorial travelogue of a weight loss journey. Unfortunately, weight loss, especially when it is more than just a few pounds , is a long journey. To go from a Body Mass Index (BMI) of “Obese” to “Overweight” (and let’s not even talk about the final destination of “normal”) will take saying good bye to some good and faithful friends (i.e. emotional eating), and require a lifetime of eating strange foods ( i.e. vegetables) and visiting exotic locations (i.e. gym). It is the losing of one identity and the striving towards a new identity which you hope is: 1) achievable, 2) sustainable, 3) healthier, and definitely 4) sexier even though it won’t make you younger. My artistic influence comes from Matisse’s Large Reclining Nude, Louise Bougeois, and ancient Venus figurines.

Here are the words that are printed on some of the pictures.

How much weight have you lost?

1 pound = a Guinea Pig

1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts

2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs

3 pounds = an average human brain

4 pounds = an ostrich egg

5 pounds = a Chihuahua

6 pounds = a human's skin

7.5 pounds = an average newborn

8 pounds = a human head

10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year

11 pounds = an average housecat

12 pounds = a Bald Eagle

15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs

16 pounds = a sperm whale's brain

20 pounds = an automobile tire

23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year

24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream

25 pounds = an average 2 year old

30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year

33 pounds = a cinder block

36 pounds = a mid-size microwave

40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg

44 pounds = an elephant's heart

50 pounds = a small bale of hay

55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner

60 pounds = an elephant's penis (yep, weights more than his heart!)

66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year

70 pounds = an Irish Setter

77 pounds = a gold brick

80 pounds = the World's Largest Ball of Tape

90 pounds = a newborn calf

100 pounds = a 2 month old horse

111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year

117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she's 5'11")

118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica

120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month

130 pounds = a newborn giraffe

138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year

140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year

144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she's 5'4")

150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary

187 pounds = an average adult man

200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds

235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger

300 pounds = an average football lineman

400 pounds = a Welsh pony

By this scale I have lost an average 2 year old, a human head, including the brain, and all my skin.